Quick and Easy Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe

This broccoli cheddar soup recipe is delicious, healthy, simple, and quick. It will make you feel cozy, warm, and energetic – without putting in too much effort to whip it up.

It is good to indulge in a hot, creamy meal now and then, and this cheddar and broccoli soup recipe provides much-needed relief to your taste buds.

With chicken and lots of broccoli, there is a lot of good nutrition in this broccoli and cheese soup. And the cheese and cream only add to the goodness. It’s easy to make as you don’t have to undergo a long preparation process.

You can make it with ingredients lying around the house. And it is quick for a scrumptious meal. So, whip this best broccoli cheddar soup out for a special weekend night and live the cheesy, creamy dream.

What is Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This broccoli cheddar soup is delicious, comforting and nutritious and is perfect for cold winters. Made with a healthy and nutritious combo of tender chicken, fresh broccoli, rich cheddar cheese, and cream for a rich and comforting meal any time of the day.

The soup is seasoned with a blend of flavorful spices, including garlic and onion powder, cayenne, and paprika, that give the soup a rich, savory taste. The chicken in the soup adds a satisfying protein boost and helps to make the soup filling and satisfying.

The broccoli adds a fresh, crunchy twist and provides a healthy punch of essential nutrients. The cheddar cheese adds a creamy and nutty flavor, while the cream adds a luxurious richness to the soup.

The spices used in the soup, including garlic and onion powder, cayenne, and paprika, are carefully chosen to complement the flavors of the other ingredients. Garlic and onion powder add a subtle, savory flavor, while cayenne adds a hint of heat. Paprika adds a warm, smoky flavor that rounds out the taste of the soup.

Whether you’re looking for a comforting bowl of soup to warm you up or a satisfying and nutritious meal, cheddar and broccoli soup is a great choice.

How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Soup?

Follow the step by step instructions to make this simple broccoli cheese soup.

Heat and melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes or until they are light golden. Then add chicken breast to the mix.

Let it cook for a few minutes before adding all the spices and flour.

Mix well with the chicken. After that, add in chicken broth and cook for a few minutes.

Add shredded carrots, and chopped celery. Let the mixture in the pot simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour in the cream and mix well, letting the mixture simmer.

After a few minutes of this, start adding cheese in small amounts. Keep stirring to ensure the cheese melts properly.

In the end, add broccoli and mix well. The cheddar and broccoli soup recipe is ready to serve.

Recipe Tips

1. Curdling is a common issue when dairy ingredients are not handled properly. To avoid curdling in this healthy broccoli cheddar soup, heat the dairy components separately in a pot, making sure not to boil them. Also, be sure not to skip the cream, as it is plays an important role in preventing the soup from curdling.
2. You should also keep the flame to medium or low heat while letting the mixture simmer. Make sure not to heat it to a full boiling temperature, which can leave the soup grainy. Moreover, remember to take the pot off the stove before adding in the cheese so it does not curdle up.
3. While butter is an essential component of making this soup turn out silky and creamy, if you want this cheddar and broccoli soup recipe to be a bit healthier, you can replace the butter with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
4. You can also use water instead of broth in this soup recipe, especially if you are considering store-bought broth. The broth may add unwanted flavors due to salt and may even alter the result.
5. Use sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor in this soup. Start by adding half a block of the cheese and stir until it mixes completely into the soup. Then, keep adding more cheese to alter the soup texture according to your preference. Moreover, if you are not a fan of the color that yellow cheddar cheese creates in the soup, you can buy white cheddar cheese.
6. Add more roasted onions, a bit of tomato paste, hot sauce, and soy sauce to bring out the savoriness of the soup.

FAQs

Can you Freeze Broccoli Cheddar Soup?

Yes, you can freeze this easy cheddar broccoli soup without hassle. Put it in a freezer-safe plastic bag or an airtight container. Place this bag or container in the freezer, and you are good to go.

If you want to refrigerate this cheddar and broccoli soup, you can store it in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. When you want to reuse it, take it out of the refrigerator and reheat it on medium heat.

How to avoid curdling in cheddar broccoli soup?

You may face other curdling issues when dealing with cheese in this cheese and broccoli soup recipe. If the soup starts to curdle every time you add it in, try adding it in batches. Sprinkle some cheese over the soup and mix it until it melts. Then, sprinkle some more. Keep doing this until all the cheese melts. You can also try to mix the cheese with cornflour before putting it in the soup mixture to prevent curdling.

How to make cheddar and broccoli soup thick and creamy?

If your cheddar and broccoli soup always has a thin and runny consistency, you can add a bit of cornstarch to make it thick and creamy, the way it’s supposed to be. Mix a small amount of cornstarch in water or some other fluid, such as broth. Combine it well until it turns into a thick slurry. Add this slurry to the soup slowly and not all at once. Stop when you are satisfied with the consistency.

If you are one of those people who like extra thick and creamy soup, but can never get the texture right, add a small potato. It helps emulsify the cheese in the soup and thicken the texture. Your soup will turn out extra creamy and delicious with this trick.

Another quick tip to thicken the soup is by making a paste of butter and flour and adding this paste into the soup.

How to prevent cheddar and broccoli soup from becoming griny?

If your cheddar and broccoli soup gets too grainy, there are some steps you can take to avoid it. It is always better to shred cheese at home instead of buying it at a store. This is because store-bought cheese has a fibrous coating, which can cause the cheese to not melt properly and leave grains behind.

What Goes Best with Cheddar and Broccoli Soup?

The cheddar and broccoli soup is a quick and easy dinner recipe. What’s even better is that you can serve it with various side dishes. A great meal to go with the soup is a plate of baked sweet potato wedges. You can also make a kale salad on the side to amp up the nutrition quotient.

Another great way to serve the soup is with sourdough bread. You can even serve the soup by cutting out the bread hollow and pouring the soup into it. You can also make a grilled cheese sandwich to make it a proper heavy meal. Garlic bread is another type of bread that goes perfect with cheese and broccoli soup.